The desire of both men and women to overcome alopecia, commonly referred to as baldness, is all too well known. Hair loss is most often considered to be of hormonal, emotional or uncertain etiology and is experienced by a large percentage of the population.
It has been suggested to employ drugs or chemical treatment. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,697 assigned to Lion Corporation of Japan teaches a cell-stimulating composition containing specified aliphatic alcohols having an odd number of carbon atoms as the effective ingredient. The Upjohn Company has in recent years marketed a drug sold under the Rogaine trademark to aid in hair growth. Such chemically related treatments have however had only modest success.
Additionally, the concept of transplanting patches of hair has been suggested as a baldness treatment. Such a technique requires surgical steps and likely pain.
A Russian article by S. N. Abramov, A. P. Zenkevich and N. N. Shinaev entitled "Microcirculation in the Skin in Patients with Different Forms of ALOPECIA in the COURSE OF REFLEX THERAPY" appeared in Vestn Dermatol Venerol, January, 1984. It reported that a decreased rate of capillary circulation existed with patients exhibiting alopecia as compared to a control group. Their patients were given reflex therapy. Acupuncture in conjunction with 133X2 Isotope was suggested to normalize disturbances in capillary circulation.
In a somewhat similar vein, another Russian author E. A. Ludyonsky ("Treatment of Alopecia", Vestn Dermatol Venerol, June 1983) proposes to treat alopecia by acupuncture by the May-Chua method in combination with corticotropin injections. The acupuncture is applied into sites of the posterior meridian as well a into auricular and scalp sites.
In the text "Acupuncture in Medical Practice" by Louise Oft Wensel, M. D., published 1980 by Reston Publishing Company, Inc., the authors speak of the use of acupuncture to treat alopecia areata which is caused by emotional reactions and characterized by patches of baldness asymmetrically located on the head. However, only a 30% success rate was reported for this specific treatment--a treatment which does not relate to common baldness.
Thus, while the prior art provides some suggestions as to the use of acupuncture for treating baldness, the prior art methods have had at best only limited usage and limited success.